5.5 AIO ala Sandeep w foam/ rock wall

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 09:58 AM

2 months ago I built a 2.5 gallon tank with a foam/rock background inspired by the tanks of RC members Kannin, Tiggsy, and customcolors. I was very happy with the way the background turned out but I found the tank to be too small to work with. The mere act of sticking my hand in the tank to place a coral causes it to overflow. There is only about 3-4" of clearance between the background and the front glass. After seeing the build threads from members Sandeep and danoreef I was inspired to try a 5.5 AIO but with a foam/rock wall. Also, instead of partitioning off the back or the end of the tank for the filter/fuge, I partitioned off a corner and created the background walls for the back of the tank and for the angled partition. There were a few things I learned form my 2.5 gal build that made me do things a little different. In the 2.5 I used "lace rock". I'm not sure, but I think the origin of that stuff is terrestrial. This time I used dry live rock. It definately has more of a marine look. Also, I tried to fit the rocks close together so there would be as little as possible foam needed to fill the gaps. Another thing I did differently was use Beckett's Pond Foam which is black and supposedly more up to the task of holding up underwater than Great Stuff. I took lots of pics and will post them to the thread when I get home. The tank should be ready to fill with water tonight. Check back in a few hours for the pics

Pulp Fishin · 04/21/2008, 10:23 AM

Can't wait too see the pics!

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 04:51 PM

OK, here's some pics. Here is a pic of the tank with the acrylic dividers already siliconed in place and the cuts for the overflow and underflow. There are no teeth cut because they will be cut through the foam and rock in that area. Also you can see the hole for the MJ 400 nozzle.

These are the rocks I used.. I got them from my LFS. Definately more "salty" looking than the "lace rock" I used in the 2.5 build.

This is the frame for the back of the tank

There are some tubes built in for the fish to swim through.

You can see them better in this pic

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 04:56 PM

I built a frame out of egg crate in the first chamber that will support some mechanical filter media. I built it relatively low in the chamber so I can put chaetomorpha on top and use the tank light for growth. That way I won't need a 'fuge light. So the water will spill in through the overflow, past the chaeto, and through the filter media. Below that and in the second chamber will be the heater, LR live sand and LR rubble.

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 05:08 PM

Here's a pic of the panel for the back of the tank with the rocks attached - with silicone. Not a very secure attachment, but after the foam is applied and has a chance to harden it will be fine.

This is the panel that will cover the divider on the right side of the tank. This piece has some really interesting areas for the fish to swim through. Eight openings all together

Foam applied

and trimmed

This is the foam I used.

Here, I've started to add the fiberglass resin and sand. I made the sand with left over rock and a hammer

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 05:15 PM

Left side piece (back of tank) all done

And the right side

Detail shot. This is where the MJ 400 nozzle will be

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 05:19 PM

Some more detail shots

Since these pics were taken, I made a surry out of fiberglass resin and sand to the consistance of toothpast and filled in the back side of all the swim throughs so no light will show through and the frame cannot be seen at all

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 05:23 PM

Here is a close up of where the overflow will be. I placed some rocks there that already had "teeth" and filled in between with foam.

Then I cut teeth into the foam.

yousmellsfishy · 04/21/2008, 05:28 PM

Here's the FTS. I added some FG resin and sand to the seam between the 2 panels today so I can't add water until tomorrow.

Once again, I'd like to thank Kannin, Tiggsy, customcolors, Sandeep, and danoreef for their inspiration for this tank.

customcolor · 04/21/2008, 06:43 PM

that looks sweet!!!!!!!! i bow to you now

you took a lot of time and effort on that 5gal. i will be tagging along to see it with live stock in it too. i bet a cleaner shrimp will love the tunnles.

JaredWaites · 04/21/2008, 10:25 PM

Damn that's pimp.

Great job!

What kind of Resin did you use?

spleify · 04/21/2008, 10:49 PM

Very cool!! Cant wait to see is all set up.

Spleify

Cramz07 · 04/22/2008, 07:45 AM

That is very awesome...the more and more i see these foam projects the more and more i want to do it on my 55...it's a great alternative to taking up so much space with base rock to get a good stack to have "tables" for corals

Pulp Fishin · 04/22/2008, 09:16 AM

Very nice!
Did you use anything to cure it?

yousmellsfishy · 04/22/2008, 04:40 PM

Thanks for the compliments. I used Bondo brand fiberglass resin. I didn't use anything to cure it but time. Today I tore down the 2.5 gallon tank I set up 2 months ago and used the LR and sand to put in to this tank. The inhabitants went in to my Biocube 8.

andrewprime1 · 04/22/2008, 07:43 PM

More pics with water soon? (please)

yousmellsfishy · 04/23/2008, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by andrewprime1
More pics with water soon? (please)

Here ya go. Added water yesterday. Now comes the hardest part of salt water aquarium keeping - the waiting

nyvp · 04/23/2008, 07:50 AM

very nicely done

sandalscout · 04/23/2008, 08:37 AM

Looks Killer!

bad santa · 04/23/2008, 04:23 PM

i have thought about doing this to my 6 gal tank, nicely done.

andrewprime1 · 04/23/2008, 05:46 PM

Wow, you have truly inspired me to go big on my next build! Can't wait to see some 'stock in it.

Fazulka · 04/23/2008, 05:51 PM

That thing is crazy, good job. I really like the ideas i see on this site for small tanks. crazy.

yousmellsfishy · 04/28/2008, 06:34 AM

Added 7 lbs of live rock to the filter Friday. All kinds of pods swimming around back there now.

Goibot · 04/28/2008, 06:53 AM

Man that really looks nice - good job!

El Camaron · 04/28/2008, 08:20 AM

Nice project man, its going to look nice in a few months.

04/21/2008, 09:58 AM	#1
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	5.5 AIO ala Sandeep w foam/ rock wall 2 months ago I built a 2.5 gallon tank with a foam/rock background inspired by the tanks of RC members Kannin, Tiggsy, and customcolors. I was very happy with the way the background turned out but I found the tank to be too small to work with. The mere act of sticking my hand in the tank to place a coral causes it to overflow. There is only about 3-4" of clearance between the background and the front glass. After seeing the build threads from members Sandeep and danoreef I was inspired to try a 5.5 AIO but with a foam/rock wall. Also, instead of partitioning off the back or the end of the tank for the filter/fuge, I partitioned off a corner and created the background walls for the back of the tank and for the angled partition. There were a few things I learned form my 2.5 gal build that made me do things a little different. In the 2.5 I used "lace rock". I'm not sure, but I think the origin of that stuff is terrestrial. This time I used dry live rock. It definately has more of a marine look. Also, I tried to fit the rocks close together so there would be as little as possible foam needed to fill the gaps. Another thing I did differently was use Beckett's Pond Foam which is black and supposedly more up to the task of holding up underwater than Great Stuff. I took lots of pics and will post them to the thread when I get home. The tank should be ready to fill with water tonight. Check back in a few hours for the pics

04/21/2008, 10:23 AM	#2
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	Can't wait too see the pics! __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive

04/21/2008, 06:43 PM	#10
customcolor Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kaukauna, wi. Posts: 3,879	that looks sweet!!!!!!!! i bow to you now you took a lot of time and effort on that 5gal. i will be tagging along to see it with live stock in it too. i bet a cleaner shrimp will love the tunnles. __________________ PLEASE DONT USE GREAT STUFF (THE YELLOW STUFF) IN YOUR TANK........USE POND FOAM (THE BLACK STUFF).. I BEG YOU! Great stuff====$5 a can 24-48 hour cure Epoxy to cover it====little as $5 for small projects or up to $100+ for larger projects and another 24-48 hour cure I hope you covered it well cuz if you didnt it will start to break down in a few months sand is another added cost to cover up the yellow. Pond foams====$9-$15 a can 24-48 hour cure DONE! You can cover it with sand if you want to (YOU DONT HAVE TO) though but thats added cost again Current Tank Info: 75 gal under way

04/21/2008, 10:49 PM	#12
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Very cool!! Cant wait to see is all set up. Spleify __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

04/22/2008, 09:16 AM	#14
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	Very nice! Did you use anything to cure it? __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive

04/21/2008, 04:51 PM	#3
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	OK, here's some pics. Here is a pic of the tank with the acrylic dividers already siliconed in place and the cuts for the overflow and underflow. There are no teeth cut because they will be cut through the foam and rock in that area. Also you can see the hole for the MJ 400 nozzle. These are the rocks I used.. I got them from my LFS. Definately more "salty" looking than the "lace rock" I used in the 2.5 build. This is the frame for the back of the tank There are some tubes built in for the fish to swim through. You can see them better in this pic

04/21/2008, 04:56 PM	#4
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	I built a frame out of egg crate in the first chamber that will support some mechanical filter media. I built it relatively low in the chamber so I can put chaetomorpha on top and use the tank light for growth. That way I won't need a 'fuge light. So the water will spill in through the overflow, past the chaeto, and through the filter media. Below that and in the second chamber will be the heater, LR live sand and LR rubble.

04/21/2008, 05:08 PM	#5
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Here's a pic of the panel for the back of the tank with the rocks attached - with silicone. Not a very secure attachment, but after the foam is applied and has a chance to harden it will be fine. This is the panel that will cover the divider on the right side of the tank. This piece has some really interesting areas for the fish to swim through. Eight openings all together Foam applied and trimmed This is the foam I used. Here, I've started to add the fiberglass resin and sand. I made the sand with left over rock and a hammer

04/21/2008, 05:15 PM	#6
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Left side piece (back of tank) all done And the right side Detail shot. This is where the MJ 400 nozzle will be

04/21/2008, 05:19 PM	#7
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Some more detail shots Since these pics were taken, I made a surry out of fiberglass resin and sand to the consistance of toothpast and filled in the back side of all the swim throughs so no light will show through and the frame cannot be seen at all

04/21/2008, 05:23 PM	#8
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Here is a close up of where the overflow will be. I placed some rocks there that already had "teeth" and filled in between with foam. Then I cut teeth into the foam.

04/21/2008, 05:28 PM	#9
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Here's the FTS. I added some FG resin and sand to the seam between the 2 panels today so I can't add water until tomorrow. Once again, I'd like to thank Kannin, Tiggsy, customcolors, Sandeep, and danoreef for their inspiration for this tank.

04/21/2008, 10:25 PM	#11
JaredWaites Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Destin, FL Posts: 1,482	Damn that's pimp. Great job! What kind of Resin did you use?

04/22/2008, 07:45 AM	#13
Cramz07 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: St. Louis Posts: 388	That is very awesome...the more and more i see these foam projects the more and more i want to do it on my 55...it's a great alternative to taking up so much space with base rock to get a good stack to have "tables" for corals

04/22/2008, 04:40 PM	#15
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Thanks for the compliments. I used Bondo brand fiberglass resin. I didn't use anything to cure it but time. Today I tore down the 2.5 gallon tank I set up 2 months ago and used the LR and sand to put in to this tank. The inhabitants went in to my Biocube 8.

04/22/2008, 07:43 PM	#16
andrewprime1 LSF Undercover Agent Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 169	More pics with water soon? (please)

04/23/2008, 07:50 AM	#18
nyvp Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Hollywood Florida Posts: 3,633	very nicely done

04/23/2008, 08:37 AM	#19
sandalscout Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Clarksville, TN Posts: 1,166	Looks Killer!

04/23/2008, 04:23 PM	#20
bad santa SCRK member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Whittier, CA Posts: 1,444	i have thought about doing this to my 6 gal tank, nicely done. __________________ Ed "Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying" "Were discussing man,...you have your wrong opinion i have my right one. Its called communication." Mac Inger Current Tank Info: working on establishing a 32 Gal. Nano-Cube

04/23/2008, 05:46 PM	#21
andrewprime1 LSF Undercover Agent Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 169	Wow, you have truly inspired me to go big on my next build! Can't wait to see some 'stock in it.

04/23/2008, 05:51 PM	#22
Fazulka Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Greater Boston Posts: 115	That thing is crazy, good job. I really like the ideas i see on this site for small tanks. crazy.

04/28/2008, 06:34 AM	#23
yousmellsfishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 708	Added 7 lbs of live rock to the filter Friday. All kinds of pods swimming around back there now.

04/28/2008, 06:53 AM	#24
Goibot Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Brighton, TN Posts: 353	Man that really looks nice - good job!

04/28/2008, 08:20 AM	#25
El Camaron Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: G-town, Maryland Posts: 577	Nice project man, its going to look nice in a few months.